MIA06CA084

NTSB accident investigation · Linwood R. Lawrence Van's Aircraft RV-9A · Venice, FL · April 8, 2006

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
April 8, 2006, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
Place
Venice, FL
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N339DLLinwood R. Lawrence Van's Aircraft RV-9A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 3, 2006
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Tampa, Florida
Case key
63545

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's improper landing flare/touchdown which resulted in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - improperPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The pilot stated that his approach speed on final approach to land was too fast, and the touchdown point was beyond the optimum touchdown point. He said he inappropriately had a nose low attitude, and the nose gear rather than the main gear hit the runway with a thump. He then executed a go-around, and the second approach was better. He flared and landed the airplane on the main landing gear, and as nose was lowered, there was a scraping sound. After stopping the airplane the pilot said he noted that the airplane had incurred damage. Prior to the accident there had been no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane or any of its systems.

Factual narrative

On April 8, 2006, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a experimental amateur-built David W. Lawrence, model Van's Aircraft RV-9A airplane, N339DL, registered to and operated by David Lawrence, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight, made a hard landing at Venice, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot and passenger were not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Punta Gorda, Florida, the same day, about 1330.

The pilot stated that his approach speed on final approach to land was too fast, and the touch down point was beyond the optimum touchdown point. He said he inappropriately had a nose low attitude, and the nose gear rather than the main gear hit the runway with a thump. He then executed a go-around, and the second approach was better. He flared and landed the airplane on the main landing gear, and as nose was lowered, there was a scraping sound. After stopping the airplane the pilot said he noted that the airplane had incurred damage. Prior to the accident there had been no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane or any of its systems.

Aircraft

Registration
N339DL
Reported as
Linwood R. Lawrence Van's Aircraft RV-9A
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
90206
Airframe hours
39
Engine
Lycoming O-320-D1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
David R. Lawrence
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Departed
PGD · Punta Gorda, FL
Destination
VNC · Venice, FL
Airport
VNC · Venice Municipal, runway 22, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
63
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2
Last flight review
February 1, 2005
Seat
Left
Flight hours
742 total · 6 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
200° at 10 knots
Visibility
8 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 66 °F
Altimeter
29.97 inHg
Observed at
VNC